Loudoun County Adopts 2017 Zika Plan

The Loudoun County Health Department has outlined its plan for tackling Zika infections in the county this summer.

The county has also delegated responsibility for approving minor updates to that plan to County Administrator Tim Hemstreet. That, according to health department staff, will make the county more agile as the plan evolves. Last year, changes to that plan had to wait for approval from the full Board of Supervisors. That meant the county was less reactive to the frequent updates from the Centers for Disease Control and the Virginia Department of Health as the medical community’s understanding of the Zika virus and how to stop its spread evolved.

The virus is mostly spread through mosquito bites. The county’s plan centers around keeping populations of Yellow Fever and Asian Tiger mosquitoes down and educating the public.

About 80 percent of people infected with Zika show no symptoms. Those who do most commonly experience fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. The virus has also been linked with more serious health problems, especially for babies exposed during the mother’s pregnancy.